Piano-bench.



C. H. MARTIN.

PIANO BENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY l5. m4.

Patented June 26, 1917.

TED sTATEs ATENT CHRISTIAN I-I. MARTIN, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN R. GAMMETER, OF AKRON, OHIO.

PIANO-BENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-J une 26, 191'?.

Application filed May 15, 19114. Serial No. 838,642. I

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN H. MAR- TIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Piano Benches, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a piano bench particularly adapted for use with player pianos where it is desired to have the seat elevated and at an incline.

An object of the invention is to provide such a piano bench which may be convertible from the ordinary flat seated bench to the elevated inclined seated piano bench by the swinging of the cover of a drawer compartment to a position over the seat of the bench where it is held in an inclined position to constitute the elevated inclined seat. With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the piano bench as herein claimed and all equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts in different views.:

Figure 1 is alfront View of a piano bench constructed in accordance with this invention, in its closed condition for affording the ordinary level seat, one corner of the swinging cover of the drawer compartment being sectioned to show the hinge rod passing therethrough; v

Fig. 2 is a transverse -sectional view thereof with thedoor in its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view thereof with the door in its opened position to constitute the inclined elevated seat, and showing the drawer in a partly opened position; and,

Fig. 4f is a detail view of the drawer` guide. In these drawings 10 indicatesthe pair of end panels connected together by alevel top 11 forming the normal seat'portion of the bench. yThere is also a rear panel 12 connecting the end panels 10 and a` framework 13 to, form a rigid'structure standing.

presence of the drawei` is for the purpose of affording a convenient storage place for the music rolls.

A cover 16 is pivotally mounted by means of a link hinge of particular construction and is adapted to normally fit into the recess forming the drawer compartment so as to lie liush with the front of the cabinet and completely hide the music roll drawer from view. This cover .16, however, by reason of its link hinge connection is capable of beingy moved to a position over the seat 11 where it rests upon the inclined upper edges of a pair of narrow strips forming seat supports 17 against the inner faces of the end panels 10, said end panels continuing above the level of. the seat 11 to form ornamental upwardly projecting heads 1S. In its opened position the cover 16 rests upon suitable cushioning lugs 19 on the edge of the seat supports 17 and constitutes an .elevated inclined sea-t for use when operating the player piano.

The link hinge referred to comprises plates Q0 let into orcountersunk at the end edges of the cover 16 near the upper edge thereofand forming bearings for a rod or shaft 21 which loosely passes through an opening along the upper edge of the cover from one end thereof tothe other. This rod or shaft 21 is squared at its ends or otherwise'keyed to parallel links 22, the links and their pivotally mounted connecting rod thus constituting. a U-shaped pivotal frame on which the cover 16 is free to have a limited turning movement, such movementbeing confinedby the play of a pin 23 on each of the plates 2O engaging shoulders 24 on the links 22. The links 29. attheir outer ends are pivotally connected to pivot plates 25 let into the inner face of the endpanels 10, the seat *support 17 being grooved or recessed to permit of the movement of the links 22 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to theposition shown in Fi 3.

. By reason ofthis hinge construction the cover is conlined to movements about horizontal axes and is prevented from having one end swing higher lthan the other, as might be the case with independent link hinge constructions at its ends. It may be freelyl swung from one position to the other without binding and without scratching or marring any of the highly polished parts, and when in its lower' or closed position it completely incloses the compartment within theI bench, while in its upper position it becomes the inclined elevated seat for use when operating player pianos, the entire device presenting a neat and ornamental appearance in either adjustment thereof.

When the cover is opened and the bench is being used for the player piano the drawer containing the music rolls is readily accessible to the performer seated on the bench so that the rolls may be removed and replaced and the desired selection made without the necessity for the operator leaving the seat.

Because of the weight of the contents of the drawer and. a desirability for operating` the same while seated on the bench a drawer guide and equalizer may be provided with advantage. A suitable drawer guide and evener for this purpose is shown in Fig. 4, wherein a pair of slotted plates 26 and 27 are secured to the bottom of the drawer and the frame respectively, each having a roller 28 to travel in the slot of the other.

The equalizer, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 comprises a metal strip 29 secured to thc rear edge of the drawer at each side thereof. A lever 30 is pivotally mounted at the upper end of each strip 29 and is pivot-ally connected at an intermediate point 31 with another lever 32` which is pivotally mounted at its upper end to the frame near the upper corner thereof, the lower end of lever 30 having a roller 33 bearing against the upright of the frame, while the lower end of lever 32 has a roller 34 traveling in a slot 35 at the lower end of strip 29. rlhis cross lever construction enables the drawer to be drawn out of the frame to the very rear edge thereof without danger of its falling out, while the guide 26 keeps the drawer centrally within its opening so as to prevent binding.

The weight of the drawer and its contents is supported by the lazy tongs or cross link construction which holds the drawer free from contact with the cabinet frame, thus preventing friction which would occur if the drawer' rested on or came in contact with the bottom or sides of the cabinet frame. Obviously the lazy tongs' may be increased in their effective 'reach by adding other links thereto in order that the travel of the drawer may be increased when desired, but the single pair of cross rods on each side of the drawer, as shown, will be sufficientl in most cases.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A piano bench, comprising a frame having a level seat portion, a cover pivotally connected to the frame so as to be normally suspended in front thereof and capable of swinging to a position over the seat portion, seat supports engaged by the cover in this position whereby the cover becomes an elevated supplemental seat, and links constituting the pivotal connections for`the cover and -havinglimited pivotal connection with the cover to determine the angle between the links and the cover in moving the cover to its elevated position.

2. A piano bench, comprising a cabinet containing a drawer compartment, a drawer fitting within the drawer compartment,.the top of the cabinet constituting a level seat portion, a cover for the drawer compartment countersunk in the face of the cabinet beneath the seat portion, links pivotally connected tot-he upper edge of the cover and to the cabinet for suspending the cover in place and for permitting the cover to be swung over the seat portion and spacing its pivoted edge from the top of thecabinet, there being means for limiting the degree of swinging movement between the cover and the links.

3. A piano bench, comprising a cabinet containing a drawer compartment,4 a drawer itting therein, the top of the cabinet constituting a level bench seat with upstanding ends, a cover having a link hinge connection secured to the upstanding ends to have the' cover rest thereon and to relieve the hinges of weight, said cover when so positioned constituting an elevated, inclined supplemental seat.

4. A piano bench, comprising a frame having its top forming a horizontal seat portion with upstanding ends, a cover having a rod loosely passing through its upper edge from one end to the other, parallel links fixed on the ends of the rod, and pivotally connected to the upstanding ends of the seat portion, means for limiting the movementv of the links with respect to the cover, and a seat 4rest at the ends of the seat for supporting the cover in its opened or raised position where it constitutes an elevated inclined supplemental seat.

5. A piano bench, comprising a cabinet frame containing a. drawer compartment, a drawer fitting therein, the top of the cabinet constituting a level bench seat with upstand` ing ends, a cover having a link hinge conneetion with the upstandng ends and in its In testimony whereof, I nliix my signal0 normal vertical position closing the drawer ture, in presence of two witnesses. compartment and hanging between the ends of the cabinet and capable of swinging yto a CHRISTIAN H. MARTIN. 5 position above the seat, and a drawer in the drawer compartment, the link connections Witnesses: having limited play with respect to the cover J. A. ARBOGAST, to iiX the angle of the cover with the links ALLEN MARTIN. in the swinging movements of the cover.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

